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Why Cheap Botox Isn’t a Bargain

We all love a bargain, don't we? Most of us are careful to look around when purchasing a product or service with the goal of finding the best value, i.e., the most "bang for the buck." This is true of beauty purchases as well, like dermal fillers and Botox. After all, since you have to repeat these anti-aging injections every few months, it just makes sense to look for the best price, right? I couldn't agree more, with just a few caveats.

How Cheap is Cheap Botox?
Most plastic surgeons in our area sell Botox between $10-12 per unit. This is because Allergan, the manufacturers, sell it to us at a set price, making our "margin," or profit, fairly low. In other words, we can't go beneath a certain price and still cover our overhead. Our patients understand this. Have you seen "deals" online for 20 units of Botox for $159? I have. That's less than $8 per unit. Why would a reputable practice sell Botox at that price? Here are some possible reasons.

Newbie Injector(s)
If you don't have a group of patients who repeatedly come in for Botox and dermal fillers, you, as a physician, might elect to offer Botox at a rock-bottom price (actually losing money in the process) to attract clientele. Does that mean the physician isn't a good injector? Not necessarily. Perhaps she or he is just new to the area or new in the profession. Of course, that begs the question as to whether you want to go to someone who doesn't have the years of experience that I have.

Over-diluted Botox
Before Botox can be used, sterile saline (salt water) must be added to it according to manufacturer's directions. Like adding water to make your pot of soup stretch farther, if you add extra saline to the Botox, the Botox will be weaker, right? That means it will stretch farther because you added more water, right? And maybe one could sell it for less because of that fact, right? I'm not pointing fingers but suggesting this as one way to "make Botox cheaper." We would never do this.

Old Botox
Did you know that Botox is supposed to be used right away? The manufacturer states this. Would it seem logical that Botox that's left to sit around might weaken with time, which is why the manufacturer instructs the injector to use it right away? Of course. Do some practitioners use Botox that was mixed days or even weeks ago, selling it at a cheap price to get rid of it? I don't know. We wouldn't. I've heard that some do.

The bottom line is that if you work with a plastic surgeon that you know and trust, you'll get the results you want. Will you pay a fair price? You will with us. We won't be the cheapest in town, but we're certainly committed to being the best and, based on what our patients tell us, we are.